Sea and marine life of Greece

Purple Shell (Bolinus brandoris)
Size: 9cm
Description: spiral shaped with long, rounded thorns. Light brown or brown-grey.
Environment: muddy, or stony seafloor
Interesting fact: This shell is and was used for producing the colour "imperial purple", used for dying cloth.
Mollusks, Starfish, Urchins & Jellyfish
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Sea Urchin (Centrostephanus longispinus)
Size: 6cm
Description: long, hollow, sharp, red and white spikes that move and are very fragile. Moves forwards.
Environment: caves under the surface. Sometimes it grows larger than the cave and gets stuck, but as long as food floats in it survives.
Interesting fact: If you step on one the spike usually breaks and stays in the skin and causes infections.
Mediterranean Sea Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis)
Size: 15cm
Description: Dark blue/brown, characteristic shape
Environment: sticks onto rocks, urns, shipwrecks etc. in shallow waters
Interesting fact: Delicacy! Grown widely.
Jellyfish (Pelagia noctiluca)
Size: 15cm
Description: Pink or red/brown, dotted, glows in the dark, eight tentacles
Environment: Open sea, but also comes closer to land
Interesting fact: Stings!
Squid (Logio vulgaris)
Size: 50cm
Description: Cylindrical shape, big eyes, 10 tentacles (2long), white/pink
Environment: Open sea
Interesting fact: Delicacy, also called calamare.
Octopus (Octopus vulgaris)
Size: 100cm
Description: Grey- or greenbrown, 8 tentacles
Environment: Lives in caves and hollows
Interesting fact: Delicacy, chameleon

Sea Urchin (Arbacia lixula)
Size: 5cm
Description: Black, with sharp spikes
Environment: Sticks on to rocks and stones.
Interesting fact: Considered an aphrodisiac if eaten, but do not step on one!
Starfish (Echinaster sepositus)
Size: 20cm
Description: Reddish colour, five arms with soft skin
Environment: Around rocks and stones, sand or mud
Interesting fact: Predator. Crawls on its arms and can bend open a mussel.
Red Starfish (Astropecten aurantiaeus)
Size: 60cm
Description: Reddish colour, five stiff arms that are slightly spiky
Environment: Around rocks and stones, sand or mud
Interesting fact: Digs into the sand.
• Mollusks, Starfish, Urchins & Jellyfish • Fish • Dolphins, Sharks & Whales • Reptiles & Amphibians • Mammals • Insects, Scorpions & Spiders • Birds • Butterflies • Flowers & Bushes • Trees
Jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo)
Size: 60cm
Description: Milky white, no tentacles
Environment: Open sea, but also comes closer to land
(Errona pirum)
Size: 5cm
Description: red brown, red underneath, jagged edges
Environment: stones and rocks
Lobster (Homarus gammarus)
Size: 50cm
Description: Flat body, blue with red spots, two giant tentacles
Environment: Caves and hollows
Interesting fact: Delicacy, goes red when you boil it.
Crab (Atelecyclus rotundatus)
Size: 6cm
Description: Red with black claw edges.
Environment: Near beaches.